By R.L. Bynum
Undefeated North Carolina moved up in the AP Top 25 poll for the fifth consecutive week, becoming a top-10 team for the first time since the preseason 2021 poll.
The Tar Heels (6–0, 3–0 ACC) are up two spots to No. 10 after their 41–31 home victory Saturday over Miami, which was No. 25 but is now unranked. UNC is 56–22 as a ranked team in 15 seasons under Coach Mack Brown.
UNC also moved up to two spots to a season-high No. 10 in the Coaches Poll.
The first College Football Playoff ranking will be released on Oct. 31.
It’s the latest Carolina has been ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll since the Tar Heels were No. 8 on Nov. 29, 2015, after a 45–34 win at N.C. State for their 11th consecutive victory.
UNC got 1,011 poll points, the first time with four digits since garnering 1,190 when it was No. 8 on Oct. 4, 2020. The last time the Tar Heels got four-digit poll points this late in the season was in that Nov. 29, 2015, poll when they got 1,085.
Carolina hasn’t garnered four-digit poll points in back-to-back weeks since doing so in all 18 polls during the 1997 season, the last of Brown’s first stint at UNC. The Tar Heels, who went 11–1 and beat Virginia Tech 42–3 in the Gator Bowl, peaked at No. 4 on Oct. 13 and Oct. 20 that season, with a high of 1,524 poll points in the latter poll.
Carolina plays the third of three consecutive home games at 6:30 p.m. Saturday (The CW) against Virginia (1–5, 0–2). The Tar Heels are 21½ favorites.
UNC leapfrogged over Alabama (6–1), which remained No. 11 after a 24–21 win over Arkansas.
Only two teams ahead of Carolina in last week’s poll lost: Oregon (5–1; fell from No. 8 to No. 9 after its 36–33 home loss to Washington, which moved from No. 7 to No. 5) and Southern Cal (6–1; fell from No. 10 to No. 18 after a 48–20 loss at Notre Dame, which moved from No. 21 to No. 15).
If UNC beats Virginia, there is the potential to move up again with No. 9 Oregon playing Washington State (which has the 29th-most poll points) and No. 7 Penn State (6–0) facing No. 3 Ohio State (6–0) on Saturday.
Florida State (6–0, 4–0) remained at No. 4 after a 41–3 home victory over Syracuse (4–3, 0–3). Louisville (6–1, 3–2) sunk from No. 14 to No. 21 after a surprising 38–21 road loss to Pittsburgh (2–4, 0–3). Duke (5–1, 2–0) slid up one slot to No. 16 after Saturday’s 24–3 home victory over N.C. State (4–3, 1–2).
Ranking UNC the highest at No. 7 is Mike Niziolek of the Bloomington Herald-Times in Indiana.
Steve Wiseman, the Duke beat writer for The News & Observer, is one of 11 who voted UNC No. 8. Kate Rogerson of WTVD voted UNC No. 10 and Jordan Crammer of WNCN had the Tar Heels No. 11.
Voting Carolina the lowest at No. 14 is Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News.
AP Top 25
Others receiving votes: James Madison 70, Clemson 35, Florida 12, Washington St. 11, Fresno St. 6, Liberty 5, Kentucky 4, Wyoming 4, Kansas 2, West Virginia 1, Oklahoma St. 1, Miami 1. Point values in parentheses indicate the number of first-place votes.
ACC standings
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| X — No. 5 Florida State | 8–0 | 12–0 |
| X — No. 9 Louisville | 7–1 | 10–2 |
| N.C. State | 6–2 | 9–3 |
| Georgia Tech | 5–3 | 6–6 |
| Virginia Tech | 5–3 | 6–6 |
| Clemson | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| North Carolina | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| Duke | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Miami | 3–5 | 7–5 |
| Boston College | 3–5 | 6–6 |
| Syracuse | 2–6 | 6–6 |
| Pittsburgh | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Virginia | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Wake Forest | 1–7 | 4–8 |
Friday’s result
Miami 45, Boston College 20
Saturday’s games
Kentucky 38, No. 9 Louisville 31
Duke 30, Pittsburgh 19
Syracuse 35, Wake Forest 31
No. 1 Georgia 31, Georgia Tech 23
Virginia Tech 55, Virginia 17
Clemson 16, South Carolina 7
No. 5 Florida State 24, Florida 15
N.C. State 39, North Carolina 20
Next Saturday’s ACC championship game in Charlotte
No. 9 Louisville vs. No. 5 Florida State, 8 p.m., ABC
UNC schedule
| Month/ date | Opponent/event | 2023 record | UNC record in series |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | |||
| 20 | Spring game, 3 p.m. | — | — |
| August | |||
| 29 (Thurs.) | at Minnesota | 6–7 | 1–0 |
| September | |||
| 7 | Charlotte | 3–9 | 0–0 |
| 14 | N.C. Central | 9–3 | 0–0 |
| 21 | James Madison | 11–2 | 3–0 |
| 28 | at Duke | 8–5 | 65–40–4 |
| October | |||
| 5 | Pittsburgh | 3–9 | 12–5 |
| 12 | Georgia Tech | 7–6 | 22–33–3 |
| 26 | at Virginia | 3–9 | 66–58–4 |
| November | |||
| 2 | at Florida State | 13–1 | 3–17–1 |
| 16 | Wake Forest | 4–8 | 72–36–2 |
| 23 | at Boston College | 7–6 | 6–2 |
| 30 | N.C. State | 9–4 | 68–39–6 |
Photo via @UNCFootball
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